Interim Commerce director appointed

The Washington state Capitol building in Olympia.

Photo by Jerry Cornfield

A vacancy at the helm of one of the state’s largest agencies is filled, for now, after Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed Sarah Clifthorne as interim director of the Department of Commerce.

Sarah Clifthorne

Clifthorne, who'd been serving as the agency’s deputy director, stepped up after Joe Nguyen stepped down this month as the agency's director to lead the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. The interim appointment took effect Tuesday.

Ferguson is seeking applicants for a new permanent agency director. The deadline to apply is Feb. 4 per the online job posting. The starting salary range is $180,180 to $227,268.

The agency has a $7.9 billion budget and administers more than 100 programs in areas such as housing, energy, and economic development. Supporting the development of affordable housing is one of the largest parts of its portfolio.

Clifthorne, a former top staff member of the Washington state Senate, has been deputy director at Commerce since last February. Nguyen, a Democrat, was in his second term in the state Senate when Ferguson tapped him to lead Commerce. He was the first member of Ferguson’s executive cabinet to quit, though others have retired.